Welcome, University of Miami Alumni!

Donna ArbideIt is my pleasure to welcome you to the University of Miami Alumni Association (UMAA). Since 1930, the UMAA has been proud to welcome each and every graduate as a lifetime member and to keep all of our alumni connected with the University.

This proved to be another great year of innovative change and success for the University of Miami, and this also held true for your Alumni Association. As we grew in tandem with the University, we increased our base membership, expanded alumni programs, and worked to create more meaningful experiences and lasting memories for our alumni. It is our pleasure to share with you the accomplishments of your Alumni Association for 2007-2008.

With your help, we reached our highest number yet of University of Miami alumni, students, families, and friends through outreach activities, programs, and volunteer opportunities. This year our membership grew to 150,000 living alumni members, an increase of 4,000 alumni from last year, in a total of 50 states and 148 foreign countries.

Your University of Miami Alumni Association (UMAA) was busy on the road in 2007-2008, visiting a total of 28 different cities through national alumni events and Summer Send-Off receptions. Some of the signature events hosted by your UMAA included the ’Canes Film Showcase at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles; the Great American Treasure Chest in New York, featuring Dean Shelton Berg of the Frost School of Music; and the Women Executives Luncheon in Coral Gables, which connected alumnae business executives with Barbara Kahn, new dean of the School of Business Administration.

For the first time in Alumni Association history, we awarded two UMAA Legacy Scholarships to aid incoming legacy students with tuition expenses. The initiative serves as a means to nurture future alumni while supporting student scholarship funding.

One particularly memorable event was the groundbreaking of the Robert and Judi Prokop Newman Alumni Center. Your Alumni Association hosted a grand fete of more than 300 alumni family members and University friends to mark the official beginning of our future "home away from home" on campus.

And, of course, we will not forget the farewell to our beloved Orange Bowl stadium on Friday, November 9, 2007. The UMAA held its last official pregame at the Orange Bowl in a celebration that welcomed back more than 250 former Hurricane football players, hosted thousands of alumni fans, and honored some of UM’s top sports legends, including Russell Maryland, A.B. ’90, and Gino Torretta, B.B.A. ’91. With the national anthem sung by Sony Music recording artist Jon Secada, B.M. ’83, M.M. ’86, and the official coin toss conducted by actor Dwayne Johnson, B.G.S. ’95, and Board of Trustees member Dany Garcia, B.B.A. ’92, the evening was the perfect culmination of a 70-year history with the Orange Bowl.

Undoubtedly 2007-2008 was an unforgettable year, and we look forward to 2008-2009! Thank you for all you continue to do for the U, and feel free to contact us (alumni@miami.edu) with recommendations on how we can make your alumni experience better. We are here to serve you.

For the University of Miami,

Donna A. Arbide, M.B.A. '95
Associate Vice President of Alumni Relations and the Annual Fund and
Executive Director of the University of Miami Alumni Association